Link mat



Mar. 20

w. BELL LINK MAT F1 led Mar. 25, 1922 Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

UNITED sr ATEs WILLIAM '13.

BELL, OF CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LINK MAT.

Application filed March 25, 1922. Serial 110 546548.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthatI, \VILLIAM ThBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Concord, in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Link Mats of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mat comprising separate links. usually of leather, e.\' tendingjlengthwise of the mat, and transverse tle-rods on which the links are strung. The object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for transversely.

stiffening the mat. particularly at its end portions, and to provide a mat having transversely stiffened portions wh ch have no openings for theadmission of dirt, ,water, etc.

embodied in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a. part of this specificatimu- Figure l. is aside View of a mat in my improvements are embodied.

Figure 2 is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view shown by Figure 2.

line. 4-4: of Fig- The invention is which of the portion Figure 4 is a section on ure 2;

Figure 5 ure 2.

Figure 6 is a side view of one of the slotted 1 links.

Figure 7 is a side View of one of the reinforcing plates.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view. showing portions of one of the fiat sided tierods, and of one of the cylindrical tie-rods. hereinafter described.

The sinne reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The entire body of the mat. excepting portions of its opposite ends. is composed of oblong links 12. preferably made of sole leather although other materials may be used. The links are arranged in transverse rows of groups, the groups of each row at ternating and overlapping the groups of the next row. as shown by Figure l. The oppositc ends of the mat. include. in addition to the end groups of links 12. interim-diabspacing pieces or washers 1 3. of the amc material a the links and forming. with llit latter. continuous lransu-rsiterminal edge cull l luarraligclnciu of Q is a section on line 5-5 of Figperspective links and spacing pieces or washers is .well known. and is not claimed by me.

i The links are-perforated and strun as usual, on transverse metal tie-rods, whic are connected in pairs at the opposite longitudinal edges of the mat, in such manner that the links are confined on the tie-rods. l sually in mats of this character, each of the tie-rods of each pair has been formed .as a pintle, and the links have been adapted to have pivotal movement on each of the tie-rods of the mat. A pintle on which links may turn isnecessarily m ade ofcylindrieal wire. It is well known .thatanfelongated cylindrical wire rod when casually -.bent' from a straight form,- cannot be easily straightened. The tie-rodsim-arcst the ends of the mat are particularly liable to be bent.

and unless straighteneih prevent the-mat ends from lying smoothly on a floor. -',\\'hen these tie-rods are made of cylindrical .wire. as heretofore, it is diliicnlt to straighten out a mat that has been ci'isuallvbent at its ends. i

In carrying out my invention, I substitute tiat-sided tie-rods of oblong form in cross section, for the two c \'lindrical wire.

tie-rods or pintles heretofore located at the opposite endportions of the mat. the fiat sides of these rods beingparallel with the sides of the mat. The oblong cross section renders the flat-sided rods practically inflexible edgewisc and enables the rods to be readily straightcncdto eradicate casualbcnds curving of the Hat sides. One or more of these .flatsidcd tie-rods or stilleltel'fi may be substituted for one. or more cylimlrical \virc tie-rods or piutles between the ends of the mat. The cylindrical wire tic-rods or pintlcs are designated by H. and the flat-sided tie rods or stitl'cners are designated by If. and are composed of strips of any suitable metal. l'lach ticwod 13 is interlocked with the adjacent tic-rod H. by means of confining arms ll). formed on the rod l4 and provided with inwardly projecting books 17, engaged with orifices 1 in the ends of the rods 15. The wire of whi h the rods H is made. is Sullicicntly llc\ib|c to enable the hooks to be formed and engaged with the orifices 15. during ilH' operation of assembling the parts.

.\s Fllll n by Figure 1. the tierods forming the opposite ends of the series of rods are lll|t"l l\(l rods 1.3. and there may be one additional rod [3. or more. between the ends llo of the mat. All the other tie-rods are cylindrical rods 14, and are connected in pairs by confining arms 16 as usual.

Reinforcing plates or links 20 are provided, as heretofore, the rods 14 passing through orifices in said plates. Some of the links 12 are provided with slots 21, formed to receive the inwardly projecting hooks, as shown by Figure 4.

The thickness of the flat-sided tie-rods 15 is preferably equal to the diameter of the wire forming the rods 14. The width of the rods 15 is, of course, considerably greater than said diameter. The rods 15 are, therefore, adapted to enter oblong slots formed for their reception in the links connected thereby, without occupying more of the width of the links than is occupied by the rods 14. The stiffening effect is due to the oblong cross section of said rods, and the rods 15 are enabled by their form and arrangement to prevent accidental bending of the portions of the mat with which they are engaged, except under unusual conditions. Should a rod 15 be casually bent,

the mat is warped sidewise only, and can be readily straightened b sidewise pressure while it is lying on a oor. In fact 'the warpin of the mat in any direction 'permitted y the bending of the rods 15, may usually be eradicated without any special operation, by the weight of persons walking on the mat.

It will'be seen that the invention includes as an es sential part of the structure of a link mat, two tie-rods 14 and 15, constituting a pair, and connected by arms forming bent and hooked extensions of the tie-rods 14. By thus connecting two tie-rods of a pair, I am enabled to form one of the rods as a flat-sided stiffening rod, and the other as a cylindrical wire pintle, so that one tie-rod serves alsoas a hinge member, and the other tie-rod serves also as a stiffening, member having the characteristics as above stated. I am also enabled to securely connect the tie-rods 15 at the ends of the mat with the adjacent tie-rods 14, in such manner that there is no liability of separation of said rods at the corners of the mat. The rods 15 are entirely encased in members forming the body of the mat, so that, they are not exposed at intervals by openings in the body of the mat formed to receive mud and other foreign matter.

I claim: V

1. A link mat comprising links arranged in overlapping groups, and transverse tie-rods on which said links are strung, some of said tie-rods being cylindrical to form pintles, permitting pivotal movement of the links connected thereby, and provided at their ends with confining arms, the other tie-rods,. including those nearest the opposite ends of the mat, being'oblong in crriss section, to form stifieners, and presenting flat sides substantially parallel with the sides of the mat, each'fiat-sided tie-rod being interlocked with the confining-arms on the ends of the adjacent cylindrical rod.

'2. A link mat comprisin linksarrangml in overlapping groups, an transverse tierods on which said links are strun some of said tie-rods being cylindrical to em pintles, permitting pivotal movement of the links; connected thereby, and provided at their ends with confining arms, the other tie-rods, including those nearest'the opposite ends of the mat, beingoblong in cross section, to form stiffeners and presenting flat sides substantially parallel with the sides of the mat, each flat-sidedtie-rod having apertured ends, and the confining arms of the adjacent cylindrical rod being bent to form hooksengaged with the apertures in the flat sided ro 3. A link mat including links arranged in overlappin nected aralle transverse tie-rp'ds, on which some of the links are strung, said tie-rods being characterized by the fact that one is a pintle having connecting arms at its enrs provided with inwardly projecting'hooks, while the other or companion rod is a sti ffener of oblong cross section, presenting fiat sides which are substantially parallel with the sides of the mat, and provided in its end portions with orifices with which said hooks are engaged In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WILLIAM T. BELL.

groups, and a pair of con- 

